February 2023 / United Arab Emirates

7 Febbraio 2023

Ministry of Human Resources announces amendments to mechanism of achieving Emiratisation targets

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced on Tuesday amendments to the mechanism of achieving Emiratisation targets in private sector companies with 50 employees or more, in line with the amendments of the provisions of Cabinet Resolution No. 5/19 for 2022.

Companies will now be required to increase Emiratisation in skilled jobs by 1% every six months, while remaining on track to achieve the overall 2% target by the end of the year.

This step supports the continuity of the Emiratisation pace in the private sector year-round, in line with the directives of the Government of the UAE, which prioritises Emiratisation in its national strategy and agenda.

The amendments do not include any additional commitments on the companies, nor any amendments to the amounts of financial contributions imposed for non-compliance. However, these contributions will now be collected semi-annually, encouraging the private sector to continuously employ Emiratis to meet their targets, instead of waiting until the end of the year.

At a media briefing organised today by MoHRE, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said, “This step aims to maintain employment and retention rates of Emiratis in the private sector at a time where we witnessed a 70% increase of Emiratis working in the private sector in 2022, compared to 2021.”

Al Awar noted that the new mechanism does not amend the annual targets – companies with 50 employees or more are required to achieve a 2% increase in Emiratisation of skilled jobs. The new mechanism stipulates that companies need to achieve 1% increase in Emiratisation before the end of June 2023, and reach the targeted 2% by end of the year.

He pointed out that “supporting Emirati talent is a priority, in line with the vision of the nation’s wise leadership to provide a decent living to its people, boost their quality of life, and enhance the job opportunities available to them. This is evident in the exemplary results achieved by Nafis in 2022, which through the amended mechanism, the Ministry aims to support in balancing the pace of job seekers registering and the job opportunities being offered via Nafis’ platform.”

“The private sector has proven itself as a credible partner, and we are confident that the new amendments will reflect positively on the existing cooperation,” he added. The financial contributions on companies that do not meet the target for the first half of 2023 will begin in July 2023, and the contributions for non-compliance from 2022 will continue to be collected.

Source: Emirates News Agency 

6 Febbraio 2023

UAE foreign trade achieved AED2.233 trillion in 2022 with growth rate of 17%: Mohammed bin Rashid

 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance; H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, "Today, I chaired the UAE cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi. We expressed our sincere condolences and sympathy to Syrian and Turkish people, as well as the families of victims. Based on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, all disaster relief work teams have been directed to coordinate with the two brotherly countries to provide all kinds of aid.”

His Highness explained, “During the Cabinet meeting, we reviewed the results of the UAE's foreign trade in 2022. Our foreign trade achieved a historical record reaching more than AED2.2 trillion, a growth of 17 precent.”

“Today, we approved the National Framework for Sustainable Development in the UAE. The goal is to preserve ecosystems and ensure the sustainability of our natural resources. We also assigned the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to coordinate government efforts in preparation for hosting COP28," he added.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stated, "We approved the executive decisions to establish the National Space Fund, which aims to support the implementation of ambitious national projects in the field of space, support youth capabilities and competencies, and attract the best space companies to the UAE market.”

“We assigned the competent entities to submit an urgent study to the Cabinet on how to benefit from new AI technologies in government work, examine its future effects on the educational, health, media and other sectors, and how the government will deal positively and safely with these technologies," His Highness further said.

UAE non-oil foreign trade

The non-oil foreign trade of the UAE achieved record growth rates in 2022, reaching AED2 trillion and 233 billion, with a growth rate of 17 percent compared to 2021. The country has exceeded the AED2 trillion barrier for the first time in history. This achievement comes after the country's non-oil foreign trade achieved a growth of 12 percent in 2020, recording AED1,496 trillion, and recorded a jump of 28 percent in 2021 to reach AED1,911 trillion.

The National Framework for Sustainable Development

The UAE Cabinet approved the National Framework for Sustainable Development, which represents a comprehensive framework for all approved national strategies, policies and agendas concerned with organising environmental work in the country, and maintaining a sustainable environment that supports economic growth. The framework includes 5 main pillars: nature, environmental health, climate change, living organisms, and biosecurity.

The National Framework aims to enhance the quality of life in the country, promote diversification and economic prosperity, preserve the UAE's ecosystems, sustain its ecological resources and services, and support the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2022, the UAE topped the Yale University's 2022 Environmental Performance Index in six environmental indicators globally, becoming the first regionally, in the Arab world and in the Gulf.

COP28

As part of the ongoing preparation for the UAE to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the cabinet approved assigning the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to coordinate with federal and local authorities to prepare the country's readiness plan for the event, and ensure the participation of federal government entities in organising this global event.

UAE Green Agenda 2030

The Cabinet was briefed on developments in the implementation of the UAE Green Agenda 2030, which aims to achieve the goals of sustainable development, and the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071.

During the coming period 2023-2030, the UAE will implement initiatives and projects to support the goals of green economy, including increasing GDP by 4 percent to 5 percent by 2030, increasing exports by about AED24 to 25 billion by 2030, and reducing emissions from 430 kilowatt-hours in 2013 to less than 100 kilowatt-hours by 2030.

National Space Fund

During the meeting, a resolution regarding the establishment of the National Space Fund was adopted. The Fund which will be managed and supervised by the UAE Space Agency, aims to build national capabilities and competencies, raise the economic contribution to diversifying the national economy, and consolidate the UAE’s position in the space sector.

The Fund is set to develop the infrastructure supporting the space industry, and create an appropriate environment to attract startup companies in space. In addition, the National Space Fund aims at adopting governance systems to achieve leadership in the space sector, attracting specialised global companies, and building partnerships between national and international advanced technology companies.

National policies for Cybersecurity

The Cabinet meeting approved the National Policy for IoT security, the National Programme for Cybersecurity Accreditation, the National Policy for Cloud Security. In addition to a number of related policies aiming at providing solutions for current and future challenges related to cybersecurity.

The meeting also approved the formation of a national committee to combat cyber-attacks.

Advance Government work with AI technologies

The Cabinet approved a policy to raise the efficiency of government work through the use of artificial intelligence technologies. The policy includes standards and guidelines that guarantee safe use of AI, and the scope of its use in government work.

The policy aims at increasing the productivity and efficiency in various sectors, enhancing competitiveness and the quality of government services, and provides more training opportunities for employees.

“Made in UAE”

The Cabinet adopted a decision on updating the “Made in the UAE” unified national mark ecosystem, in order to support national products. The update includes simplifying the procedures for obtaining the mark, allowing industrial facilities in free zones to obtain it, and confirming the facility's commitment to product safety through the application of conformity standards.

Nafis

The Cabinet was briefed on the developments of Emiratisation programmes in the private sector, and issued a decision regarding the amendment of some provisions related to the goals of the “Nafis” initiatives, so that the annual target for Emiratisation is divided throughout the year by 1 percent in the first six months of the year and the other 1 percent in the second half of the year.

The UAE Cabinet meeting approved a decision regarding the issuance of executive regulations for a number of federal laws and legislations, including the federal law regarding protecting witnesses and secret sources; the Federal Law regarding accessing genetic resources and their derivatives; the federal law regarding private health facilities, in accordance with the UAE’s policy regarding foreign investor ownership; the Federal Decree-Law regarding Electronic Transactions and Trust Services.

The Cabinet approved a resolution regarding the structure of Islamic sukuk.

The meeting has approved the establishment of a number of embassies in several countries, including Copenhagen, the Kingdom of Denmark; Prague, Czech Republic; Helsinki, the Republic of Finland; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The Cabinet approved several international agreements with a number of friendly countries, including the Republic of Lithuania, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Poland, the Russian Federation and Israel.

Furthermore, during the meeting, the Cabinet reviewed a number of annual reports for the year 2022

Source: Emirates News Agency

2 Febbraio 2023

UAE launches ‘Industrial Technology Transformation Index’ to drive digitalisation and sustainability

The UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) today launched the Industrial Technology Transformation Index (ITTI), a comprehensive framework to measure the digital maturity and sustainability of factories, and formulate a roadmap for industrial transformation.

As part of the Technology Transformation Programme, the ITTI was developed with leading industry players, consultancy firms, technology providers and subject-matter experts. MoIAT will also collaborate with UNIDO to internationalise ITTI.

By using ITTI, manufacturers will be able to make data-driven decisions to allocate resources more effectively and unlock financial incentives. The index will promote the integration of 4IR applications and sustainability best practices and raise awareness about the benefits of advanced technology. The ITTI is the first of its kind to integrate 4IR fundamentals with sustainability in one comprehensive framework.

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, announced ITTI at the World Government Summit 2023, which runs until 15th February under the theme “Shaping Future Governments”. The announcement happened in the presence of Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

“Technology and sustainability are at the heart of the UAE’s industrial transformation plans,” Al Amiri said. “We are progressing quickly on a path to digitise factories, make manufacturing smarter, greener and attract the most cutting-edge companies and human capital. It is a path supported by the Technology Transformation Programme, and Make it in the Emirates initiative.

“In line with its commitment to supporting all UAE-based companies to join us in entering the Fourth Industrial Age, the ministry has developed the ITTI as a game-changing initiative that will help companies to take their first steps towards Industry 4.0, stay ahead of the curve, and unlock the potential of advanced technology. Sustainability is a core pillar in the ITTI which will support manufacturers in reducing emissions and boost our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADDED, said, “Forging ahead with our comprehensive plan for building a Falcon economy on both Abu Dhabi and Federal levels, we have introduced the indices for manufacturers and industrial partners to use as launching pads for their smart and digital transformation goals, empowering them to take a meaningful leap towards industry 4.0 transformation.”

“The UAE and Abu Dhabi are on track with national goals and commitments relating to ‘Operation 300bn’, particularly in advancing sustainable economic growth and diversification, deploying clean energy solutions, innovation, and promoting responsible consumption and production. We are actively pursuing the adoption of Industry 4.0 programmes and technologies by all sectors sand industries, blending smart manufacturing, circular growth, and the reduction of waste and emissions," he explained.

The index’s categories are aligned with the manufacturing value chain, and are comprised of 20 dimensions out of which 4 are sustainability related. The design ensures the index’s alignment with the functions of the factories making it simple and intuitive to understand and an effective and forward-looking planning tool for manufacturers.

In order to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the tool, the Ministry piloted the ITTI with 75 manufacturing plants in 8 priority sectors, around 60 of which are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

During the pilot phase, ITTI inspired many to take the next step in their digitalisation journey, and most participants indicated that they highly recommend the assessment to industrial peers.

To properly activate and scale the ITTI, a certification programme has been developed to qualify third party assessors to conduct 1-day assessments based on the ITTI framework. The tool enables certified assessors to evaluate current technology and processes of manufacturing plants across the manufacturing value chain. Based on the findings of the assessment, assessors develop a detailed report, providing recommendations on prioritised actions to help manufacturers identify business areas where improvements will generate the highest business impact.

The Ministry and ADDED developed ITTI in collaboration with Siemens and other leading knowledge partners. MoIAT revealed 8 certifying bodies associated with the index, including Yokogawa, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Future Factory, EGDE Group, Du, and Accenture.

During her speech, Al amiri called on ecosystem partners to join the programme as Certified Assessing Bodies, and encouraged industrial stakeholders to undertake the ITTI assessment to support a smart and green industrial transformation in the UAE.

Source: Emirates News Agency